Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Ali Ibrahim Pantami has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s determination to reverse the trend of importation of all types of telecommunications products, especially where production in Nigeria is possible.
Pantami, who spoke at the first Nigerian Telecommunications Indigenous Content Expo (NTICE), 2022, held at the Landmark Centre in Lagos, got immediate commendation from the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Prof. Umar Danbatta, who told the audience that the Minister’s efforts and support have spurred the Commission to take certain steps that have yielded immediate results that were being showcased at the expo.
The expo was organized as part of effort to vigorously pursue the objectives of the National Policy for the Promotion of Indigenous Content in the Nigerian Telecommunications Sector (NPPIC), through the National Office for Developing Indigenous Telecoms Sector (NODITS) domiciled in the NCC.
Pantami emphasised that the Government had put efforts towards the protection of the telecom industry, which contributes impressively to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), by insisting on the drastic reduction in the reliance on foreign products. He, consequently, warned against importation of such products like Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards that can be produced in Nigeria.